Road grader



c.` B. FAVERTY ROAD GRADER `Fuly 1, 1930.

v Filed July 2e, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l July 1, 1930. c. B. FAVERTY 1,769,682

ROAD GRADER Filed July 28, 1928 2 sheets-sheet 2 CZ C/Q figa/@ffyl Patented July 1, 1930 UNITED STATES Parr-:Nr OFFICE g CLYDE B. FAVERTY, OF HAMMOND, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO RYAN MNFG'. CORPORATION, l

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS ROAD GRADER Application filed July 28,

My invention relates in general to road graders and more particularly to a novel operating and adjusting mechanism for a specific element thereof by means of which the manufacture,'operation and care of the grader are greatly improved and simplified. vThe type of grader to which the invention is particularly adaptable is shown in the copending application of Daniel C. Hinds, Serial No. 689,416, iiled January 30, 1924. ln this type of grader there is a wheeled carriage having a main frame from which is supported independing relation a drawbar carrying a mold board Vin suitable adjustable position thereon. Therear end of the drawbar is supported by a number of links, two of which are connected to crank arms for elevating or lowering the drawbar, while the other link is connected to aside shifting carriage operable inA ar transverseA track whereby the entire drawbar can be shifted sideways of the main frame. The sidenshifting of the-carriage is accomplished by a sprocket chain having one of its links securedy tothe side shifting carriage, the chain itself being trained around a pair of sprocket gears through oneof which the drive for the chain is provided.

The principal object of my invention is to provide an improved side shift carriage and driving means therefor.

r Another objectv of the invention is to provide an improved method for mounting the side shifting chain. l

Another object is to provide means for adjusting the tension of the side shifting chain. f

Another object is to provide an improved idler gear assembly.

In accomplishing the invention, a pair of I-beams extend transversely of the grader frame and form a track on which a miniature wheeled carriage is reciprocable by a side shifting chaintrained around a pair of sprocket gears, one of these gears being pro- 1923. seriaiNo. 295,863.

vided with a novel driving means, and the other acting as an idler and having adjustment features in connection therewith.` The idler sprocket wheel or gear is held in position by a yoke which has a threaded bolt for a shank, this shank extending through a plate secured on the end of the track or car riage runway and being provided with a nut which is 4turned in either direction either to tighten or loosen the chain. A pair of stabilizing projections extend downwardly fromvthe yoke and engage the top of the track so that rotary motion of the yoke and shank around the axis thereof is prevented.

' Other objects and features of the inven-` tion will be apparent from a consideration ofthe detailed description takenawith' the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig..1 is a sider elevational view showing a portion of the grader drawbar adjustment and also a preferred embodiment of the mounting and adjusting ymechanism constituting the present invention, and j.

Figs. 2v and 3 are sectional views taken along the,VV lines 2-2 and 3 3 of Fig. A1 respectively looking in the direction ofthe arrows; and Fig. 4 shows the invention as actually appliedto a grader.

V Referring now to the drawings, the drawbar isadapted to be supported` at its rear end by links 10 and 11 which dependfrom cranks 13 and 14 mounted on rotatable shafts 16 and 17. TheseV shafts .are suit-ably journaled in brackets held by a pair of I-bea-ms 18, serving as a support for this portion of the apparatus, and also .acting as a track for accommodating the side-thrust carriage.

A third link 19 is suitably secured at its lower end at one side of the drawbar and serves to shift the same from side to side while also supporting some of the weight thereofwhen certain adjustments are used. The upper partof thelink 19 is pivoted at 21 to a shank 22 depending downwardly from aside shifting carriage 23. This carringe is provided with four wheels 24-24 which are adapted to ride along track surfaces formed by the lower flange 18 of the Lbeams. The u per part of the carriage has a plate 26 whc is connected to a special link 27 forming a part of a side-thrust chain 28. This chain is trained around a pair of transversely aligned sprocket wheels 31 and 32, the s rocket wheel 31 being fixed on an immovable but rotatable shaft 33 through which the drive for the side-shift chain is provided.

The invention concerns itself greatly with thermounting for the idler sprocket wheel 32. This wheel 1s provided with a shaft having its ends journaled in the side projections of a oke 36, said yoke provided with a threaded shank 37 extending through an end plate 38 carried on the ends of the I-beams 2o A `nul'. 39 is threaded on the project-ing end f'th'efshank and its position thereon may be to re late the transverse position ofthe yoke anuidler sprocket wheel, whereby the tension of the side-thrust chain will an be controlled. At each side of the yoke 36 is provided a stabilizing projection 41 designed to engage along the top of the I-beams forthe j urpose of preventing `motion of the shank a ut itsaxis. zo s In order to power drive the `side shift chain HK contemplated in the present type of glider' the shaft 33 has keyed or otherwise thereto, a worm ear 42 which `with and is driven y a vworm 43. so This `worm is driven by a bevel ear 44 which is keyed to the worm shaft an meshes with dleblnpanion bevel gear 46 keyed to a short shaft 47, which, through suitable connections including for example a universal joint 48, @l loads to afsource of ower (not shown).

i 4 shows a si e elevation of the main pint ons of a der with which may present 1n tion is a apted to be used.

f" 4e main frame 51 has a front post 52 in 48' which a drawbar 53 is connected by means of a universal joint and in such a way that it mayibe reci ated vertically within the front post. he drawbar supports a circuframe 54,Y adjustable with respect there- 56 to, and the circular frame. carries a moldboard 56. lThe links 10 and 11 pivoted to the cranks 1B and 14 are also pivoted at their lower ends to the drawbar and so by means of these links and the side shifting link 19 5l* andthe adjustment at the front end of the drawbar the moldboard is capable of being put into a number of positions for grading ses. e'preaent embodiment of the invention W e and economical toV manufacture and has y e advantage when put into operation of'being very easily handled. This 1s of im- Bxrtanee as the proper control of the drawr to obtain the various adjustments possible with this type of grader requires a simple rugged construction as well as an accurate control of the tension of the sideshift chain.

Although the invention has been described in detail, it is limited only by the scope of the following claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. In a road grader, a main frame, a mold board carrying drawbar suspended beneath said main frame, a pair of channeled members carried by the frame forming a closed transverse track, a wheeled carriage reci rocable along said track and a connection rom the carriage to the drawbar to transmit the sidewise movement of the carriage to the draw/bar and cooperate with the drawbar suspending means to provide a range of working adjustments;

2. In a road rader, a main frame, a drawbarsuspended low the main frame, a side shifting trolley for the drawbar Secured on the main frame, said side shiftin trolley including a track, a carriage on t e track, a driving sprocket gear, an idler sprocket gear,

a sprocket chain trained around said gears anda mounting for the idler ear including a yoke, a threaded shank on t e oke, a nut threaded on said shank and designed to be turned to regulate the tension of the chain, the mounting for said idler ar comprising a yoke for receiving the i ler gear shaft, ar ir of stabilizin projections adapted to ri e along the trac to prevent turning of the yoke and means for forcing the yoke with the idler gear in either direction with respect to the driving gear.

3. 'In a road grader, a main frame, a drawbar suspended elow the main frame, a side shifting trolley for the drawbar secured on the main frame, said side shifting trolley including atrack, a carriage on thetrack, a drlving sprocket gear, an idler sprocket genna s rocket chain trained around said gears an a mountin for the idler gear including a yoke, a t readed shank on the yoke, a nut threaded on said shank and desifgned to be turned to regulate the tension o the chain, the mounting for said idler gear comprising an end plate on the track,

a yoke for receiving the idler gear shaft and having a threaded shank extendi through the end plate, a nut on the sha and a pair of stabilizing projections carried by' the yoke for preventing the turning of the yoke and gear when the nut is actuated to regulate the tension of the chain.

4; Ina road grader, a main frame a mold board suspended beneath the main frame, a closed track disposed transversely of the frame, a carriage reciprocable on the track' and having an operable association with the mold board to move the same, a pair of sprocket gears at opposite ends of the track, a' chain trained around said gears and connecting with said carriage, and means for driving said chain, ksaid means including a Shaft on which one of said sprocket gears is secured, a Worm gear on said shaft, a Worm meshing with said Worm gear, and a gear and shaft connection from the Worm gear to a suitable source of power.

5. The combination dened in claim 4 wherein the sprocket gear furnishing the drive is stationary, the opposed sprocket gear having adjusting means for regulating the tension of the side shift chain.

In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 10th day ofl May, 1928.

CLYDE B. FAVERTY 

